Changes
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: Hermione Granger goes back to Hogwarts and discovers that many things have changed since her first year at the school. The same can be said of Draco Malfoy.


**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by the Ongoing - Gift Tag on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I this fic for Ella and used the prompt of Draco/Hermione 8th year. I hope you all enjoy Changes.**

Hermione Granger was surprised to say the least to see that Draco had come back to retake their seventh year of Hogwarts. She knew why she was coming back. She wanted to finish her magical education so that she could get a good high paying job. But she didn't think the same could be said for the blonde haired grey eyed boy, no man, standing behind her.

"Are you going to say something, Draco?" she asked him. "Or are you just going to stand there and stare at the back of my head for the rest of dinner?" She turned to face him and instantly wished she hadn't.

Draco had changed a lot since the last time she'd seen him in the Great Hall after the Battle of Hogwarts. He looked a lot more haggard then she'd last seen him look. But of course that could also be because his father was on trail for his crimes as a Death Eater. The dark circles under Draco's eyes concerned her too. It looked like he hadn't been sleeping well.

"I was hoping that I could talk to you, Potter, and Weasley," Draco told her his voice sounding gaunt and tired.

"Harry and Ron choose not to come back to take their last year of Hogwarts," she informed him motioning for Draco to sit down. Hermione felt bad for Draco. She could see the way that most of the Death Eater's children treated him because he and his parents ran away during the battle. "What was it you wanted to talk about?" The least she could do was hear him out after all his mother had kept the fact that Harry was alive a secret.

Draco sat down next to Hermione which is a thing he'd never have consider before the battle. "I wanted to apologize to you all for the way that I've treated you the past six or so years," Draco began actually sounding sorry. "I am sorry for all the things that I've put you through Hermione. It more to make my father happy than what I felt or believed. I hope that you can find it in your heart forgive me one of these days."

The apology caught Hermione completely off guard. If you'd have told her Draco would be apologizing to her in their first year of Hogwarts she'd have probably laughed in your face. But the look on Draco's face totally convinced her that he was sorry. Watching as he was about ready to get up and head back to his lonely spot at the Slytherin table she felt a sudden urge to change the way the House system was. "Why don't you stay here and eat dinner with me?" she asked.

Sitting back down Draco wondered if this was some kind of a joke on him. If he sat here long enough that someone would come up and try and start something with him. Put a couple pieces of chicken onto his plate he kept watch to make sure no one would attack.

"So what do you think Hagrid will be teaching us about in Care of Magical Creatures this year?" Hermione asked as though the pair had been friends for years now.

From there the conversation flowed seamlessly and Hermione found that she and Draco had a lot in common. They shared a common love of some of the same authors and musicians. And just seeing Draco smile for the first time since they stepped foot in Hogwarts this year made Hermione sure that asking him to join her for dinner was well worth it.

"Thank you, Gra...Hermione," Draco said as dinner came to an end and he gathered his strength to go face the rest of his peers in Slytherin. "I'm glad we got a chance to talk and again I'm sorry about how I treated you..."

"Do you think you would like to join me again tomorrow?" Hermione asked nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Maybe there was someone worth getting to know in Draco Malfoy.

"I would love that," Draco said smiling. "See you tomorrow, then."

"See you tomorrow."

Hermione Granger couldn't help but that her 8th year of Hogwarts was going to turn out to be an interesting one. But she was glad that she'd at least have Draco by her side to face whatever came up.

 **I hope you all enjoyed Changes.**


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